Quotes of the day

posted at 9:23 pm on October 26, 2012 by Allahpundit

Four years after he was elected as a self-described ‘hopemonger’ promising a new post-partisan era, President Barack Obama is trying to claw his way to re-election with an ugly, divisive campaign in which he is playing the role of fearmonger-in-chief…

[I]f Obama is re-elected the way he has run his campaign may make it almost impossible for him to govern effectively – let alone in the spirit of the ‘better angels of our nature’ that Abraham Lincoln cited in his first inaugural speech and that Obama used to love quoting.

It was John McCain who said in 2008 that he would not ‘take the low road to the highest office in the land’.

A senior Romney strategist who asked not to be named said they expected more attacks from Obama. “The Chicago guys know that he is below 50 on both ballot and approval,” he told National Journal. “It is not that Obama likes to be a hatchet man. They think they have got to bring Romney back down by bringing his negatives back up…. But it is dangerous to have the president himself doing it.”

Madden called it “unfortunate he has to close the final days of the campaign this way.” But that is how most campaigns end, with one candidate ratcheting up the attack rhetoric and the other one trying to stay above the fray. In past campaigns, the one mounting the assault is often the one who either feels the election is slipping away or who finds it impossible to accept that the challenger is making the race so close.

***

What is President Obama doing? What votes is he trying to get? I said last week he had better find ways to appeal to more white voters, especially white working women, or he was going to lose. Well, the Obama campaign must have had a meeting and decided it needed the campaign message to center on the president’s childish, not-quite-cute name-calling, highlighted by vulgar insults. In the meeting it was obviously decided that the clumsy use of “Romnesia” could stay, but that if the president used his own mouth to call Mitt Romney a “bull*****er” that would really appeal to…? Appeal to whom? I have no idea what the Obama campaign is about, 11 days before the election.

In the final stretch, Obama’s campaign isn’t about offering hope and change but is about appealing to a coarse ignorance that he sees in voters.

***

But even looking beyond the biased analyses being published by liberal sources, the refusal of many Democrats to accept the reality of the Romney surge may be rooted in something more emotional than just skewed poll numbers. Many if not most liberals share the attitude of contempt for the Republicans that were so easily discerned in the attitudes of both President Obama and Vice President Biden during the debates. Though most Americans have rejected the attempt by the president’s campaign to define Romney as a heartless plutocrat or a monster, liberals bought it hook, line and sinker. The idea that such a person could have caught and passed Obama in the space of a few short weeks seems impossible to them not so much because they think the numbers don’t support this thesis but because they just don’t want it to be so.

Rather than debunking Romney’s wave, liberal analysts who seek to deny it are merely confirming their inability to look dispassionately at what has occurred. Democrats living in liberal echo chambers need a reality check.

***

We shouldn’t be talking about this silliness — Big Bird, “bull­s—-er” or a girl’s “first time.”

We should be talking about The Issues, we keep telling ourselves. But in the waning days of the presidential campaign, these are the issues — binders full of cultural issues that continue to divide us and by which Barack Obama hopes to win reelection…

Obama reasoned correctly that he had the majority with him, especially among women and youth, for many of whom these debates seem antiquated to not-applicable. Hence, a new Obama ad by the creator and star of HBO’s “Girls,” Lena Dunham, in which she compares voting for the first time (for a man who understands women) to, you know, “doing it” for the first time. It’s . . . what it is: a message to young women that losing one’s virginity is top of the bucket list, but first you gotta vote for the president who will give you free contraception.

The same ol’ culture wars. But, of course, women have had access to birth control for decades, and no one is trying to take it away. Anyone who suggests otherwise may have been spending too much time with Big Bird.

***

[A] funny thing happened over the next six weeks: Obama’s own cue balls shriveled. Biden had offered up a deft campaign slogan encompassing both domestic and foreign policy: “Osama’s dead and General Motors is alive.” But, as the al-Qaeda connections to Benghazi dribbled out leak by leak, the “Osama’s dead” became a problematic boast and, left to stand alone, the General Motors line was even less credible. Avoiding the economy and foreign affairs, Obama fell back on Big Bird, and binders, and bayonets, just to name the “B”s in his bonnet. At the second presidential debate, he name-checked Planned Parenthood, the General Motors of the American abortion industry, half a dozen times, desperate to preserve his so-called gender gap. Yet oddly enough, the more furiously Obama and Biden have waved their binders and talked up Sandra Fluke, the more his supposed lead among women has withered away. So now he needs to enthuse the young, who turned out in such numbers for him last time. Hence, the official campaign video (plagiarized from Vladimir Putin of all people) explaining that voting for Obama is like having sex. The saddest thing about that claim is that, for liberals, it may well be true.

Even a narrow win for Obama, though, would not reestablish anything like the mandate and amity the president enjoyed on his Inauguration Day. The reason is that, as the Obama coalition diminished, Obama no longer disguised the prejudices, inflections, outlook, and approach of the progressive movement. A confessed reader of Andrew Sullivan’s hysterical web site, the president has taken on the maximalist characteristics of the liberal blogosphere. He is scornful and contemptuous of Romney, as could be seen in his patronizing lecture on aircraft carriers and submarines during the third debate. His campaign seizes on the most trivial comments—“I like Big Bird”; “Binders full of women”—to engage in juvenile jibes that would not make the first cut at the Late Show writers’ meeting. His rallies have become self-congratulatory comedy hours in which the assembled Democrats laugh heartily at the insults and zingers the president throws Romney’s way. Obama has been on a seemingly nonstop tour of television shows hosted by late-night comics. His new attack line that the Republican nominee has “Romnesia” was, as the vice president might say, literally taken from liberal blogs. The vice president even asked his audience at a recent rally whether it had watched The Daily Show the night before. The men who hold the highest offices in the most powerful country in the history of the world have been debased to the point where they look like fill-in guests on Up with Chris Hayes.

The Democrats allowed the progressive movement’s hatred of Bush to take over their old and storied political party. That party and movement found a champion and a path to power in Obama, but the electoral forces on which his power relied were unstable. In 2008, he satisfied the left and won the middle. Once in power, though, he kept the left satisfied and lost the middle and right.

“The minute he starts playing small ball, the minute he starts making all these snippy little remarks, it’s over for him,” Steyn said. “He can’t be a dark and malevolent and attack ad kind of candidate. He has to be Mr. ‘Sunny,’ Mr. ‘Hope,’ and Mr. ‘Change.’ And because he didn’t run on any of that, and he’s basically left at 10 days before the election to resurrect that character, I think was a fatal miscalculation.”

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Romney’s gonna win this thing. He has to. I will have to leave this country if Obama is reelected. Not because we can’t survive another Obama term, but because we can’t survive as a republic with a populace that would reelect him.

Seriously, the upheaval would be as painful as it can get for a society.
A “make or break” moment for this country, but a necessary evil.
An addict will never recover until rock bottom is hit.
It’s where we are.

Seriously, the upheaval would be as painful as it can get for a society.
A “make or break” moment for this country, but a necessary evil.
An addict will never recover until rock bottom is hit.
It’s where we are.

Nite

OTTO on October 27, 2012 at 12:47 AM

.
Wish I could disagree with you . . . but I can’t.
.
See? You’re leaving me on a “heavy note.”

lol..
I dont know the man..
but he was so sweet to me the day
I met him.
He has given me hours of laughter..
when needed here with stressful, upsetting,
shi$ that we deal with day after day-on serious issues we all face.
Lightens the mood..nice balance.
Why I forever love my SP.
One of a kind.

If this country re-elect Obama, the ignorant Barry voters and the dependence class can go on with their broken-before-it-is-built dysfunctional hell without me. I have positioned myself not to contribute anymore to the tomfoolery.

naaaah!…this and Drudge are all I need…visit some others periodically to see how the drones and lobotomy patients are faring….used to listen to music all the time…now…it’s talk radio or news in the background in everything I do…even at work and in the car. Drives my family nuts!

If this country re-elect Obama, I may move to Texas, and help TXUS and other make it an independent nation! :)

thatsafactjack on October 27, 2012 at 12:45 AM

I may join you.
:)
But..I am going to Galveston..have to have my ocean.
Then I can find real Mexican food again..not Cali style..
but I wont complain.
Then I can be near 4grace..my personal body guard…
Good looking men who open doors for me..manners..
Killer BBQ, steaks..Chili and the Dallas Cheer leaders..
I may even purchase some boots (lol..no)
Then alt can give me good produce on the side..
Ride in my 4×4..
Sounds good to me! LOL

except the snakes..eh..I will just get me a few more cats and a big doggie. ;)

I may join you.
:)
But..I am going to Galveston..have to have my ocean.
Then I can find real Mexican food again..not Cali style..
but I wont complain.
Then I can be near 4grace..my personal body guard…
Good looking men who open doors for me..manners..
Killer BBQ, steaks..Chili and the Dallas Cheer leaders..
I may even purchase some boots (lol..no)
Then alt can give me good produce on the side..
Ride in my 4×4..
Sounds good to me! LOL

except the snakes..eh..I will just get me a few more cats and a big doggie. ;)

In any case it will be decisive and a clean victory. Then we put this nation back together and drive the progressives back into the woodwork.

thatsafactjack on October 27, 2012 at 12:58 AM

I am still hopeful that the country has enough sense to throw Barry and his gang out on Nov 6. I do approach everything this way: Hope for the best, but plan for the worst. And I have already set myself up to be able to say “Homey don’t play that no more”.

Why did you write this? I saw MadCon write this earlier. What’s wrong?
blink on October 27, 2012 at 12:44 AM

They are just being overly dramatic. It looks like some changes have been made to the Green Room setup, which may end up being a good thing in the long run. I’m just sad to see some of the writers go. But I do think that the way the Green Room had been organized in the past seemed a little odd… I never even knew the thing was there for a long time, and I had been reading the site forever.

I would be a Gadsden kinda girl.
I would be fine. Grew up West.
I am not in love with Fl..except for my ocean activities..
and my family is here..
otherwise..eh..
I could easily go work for USAA..and the hub there. As a Meyerbeer..
One of the best damn companies I have ever dealt with. A model. Many opportunities for me. My uncle and Aunt live there..but my mom,sister,and nephew..I will not leave. I don’t believe in not being with your family.
I won’t ever leave family…period.
But hypothetically..(even though this was fun)
If things became real bad..the state I would go to.
I have no tin foil hat..but I also never thought I would ever see the things I have. You never know.

it looks like leftist are gaming Sandy out. This is Robert Pastor (otherwise known as a Carterite/Clintonisa and lover of NAU)

Most, but not all states require backup paper ballots at polling stations that use electronic voting machines. Says Pastor: “If there is a region wide natural disaster that shuts down power, there’s a high-probability that we will lose votes. In a close election, that’ll ensure there will be serious electoral disputes.”

Pastor says a natural disaster that impacts the election would “stretch the fabric of American Democracy to the point of being torn” because, in many cases, local disputes over voting “would be addressed in an area where one party is largely dominant and the rules are extremely weak.”

lol! We’d rock the great state of Texas! I think we’d fit right in, too. :)

thatsafactjack on October 27, 2012 at 1:04 AM

I rock it everywhere I roam..LMAO-

yes we would!

I know my Spanglish, cuisine, guns and own a 4 wheel drive. :)
I even like country music..lol
(well some ;)
Not that I care..but those are some sexy damn men too..lol
and the ladies. I’d look kinda cute in a hat..boots..;)
Nah..I’ll stick with my surf apparel.

She drives me crazy. She is watching youtube and I start to talk and she starts squawking. I had to tell her “hey, you can pause it, it won’t disappear.” Or my favorite is when Beck says something and I have to remind her I just said virtually the same thing an hour earlier. Of course I’m not important like Glenn or Rush.

…nope!…but you can tell it just comes here to post once in a while and DOESN’T PAY ANY ATTENTION… to what goes on otherwise…(I think it has adult toys stuck in various parts of it’s intestines and the pain interrupts and constricts its thought process while it posts.)

the CIA spokesman, presumably at the direction of CIA director David Petraeus, has put out this statement: “No one at any level in the CIA told anybody not to help those in need; claims to the contrary are simply inaccurate. ”

That statement can just as easier be taken as Petraeus attacking the unnamed sources cited by Jennifer Griffin in her report in FoxNews.

Grace!
Your a sight for sore eyes!!! xo!
lol..you see our plans to shake up Tx?

I like boots actually..but I would look a little dorky me thinks.
I love hats..so maybe I could earn it..and wear one.
Gotta be accepted first..cant be a poser. I’ll go work on a ranch with DHC and pay my dues.. lol.
My secretary/good friend is from TX..she showed my a pic of her baby sister the other day..standing on the porch..about 4 and boots with pig tails..damn cutest thing I ever saw. :)

If this country re-elect Obama, I may move to Texas, and help TXUS and other make it an independent nation! :)

thatsafactjack on October 27, 2012 at 12:45 AM

Would love to have you here, but hopefully not under those circumstances, just want better for all our countrymen. But we will do what we have to do here — we’ve seen tyranny up close and haven’t forgotten its face, as unfortunately so many on the East coast and in New England have. And, our friends on the West coast, well, the last they saw evil was in some movie with a shark or a girl with her head spinning around, vomiting pea soup, or with innumerable monsters who refuse to die.

I know one thing. If Texas has to go lone star once again, we’ll have a lot of help from people like you and probably almost every retired spec-op on the planet, and probably some who haven’t retired as well. Freedom is, at once, a magnet and a light.

Fox News reported that security officers working for the CIA in Benghazi heard the attack on the consulate but were twice told to wait before rushing to the compound. Fox also reported that U.S. officials refused when the security team asked for U.S. warplanes to bomb their attackers, which would have meant violating Libyan airspace.

In response to the report, CIA spokeswoman Jennifer Youngblood said the CIA “reacted quickly to aid our colleagues during that terrible evening in Benghazi.”

She added: “Moreover, no one at any level in the CIA told anybody not to help those in need; claims to the contrary are simply inaccurate.”

You would hope someone in the intelligence community will not take Barry blaming them sitting down, but so far, no.

I stopped back by on my way out… it would be an honor to walk those ramparts with you, TXUS, if the need should ever arise, however I’m fairly certain that the majority of the electorate is wide awake this time around and Obama and company are on their way to infamy and their ignoble ends.

…you have to quit taking these little “hiatuses” thingy’s…people look for you when you don’t at least check in like angry mike does every day or two (since he is so busy with his blog now…and btw…stop it mikey!…those girls are not good for my blood pressure!)…so anyway Gracie…like when you were little and were growing up …you have to check in here when the street lights come on!…k?

on a serious note. This has been a sad time in American history. I have a little brother who is cookoo for the Won but I don’t know why.
In 20 yrs. when my grandchildren ask if i voted for the the first black pres. I can say no, I didn’t vote for the worst pres. in history, but I feel so bad for all those who did just to say that they were a part of history although I truely believe they were on the wrong side. We as a nation can do so much better.

I can handle it all but the riding deal. ;)
With my small bit of fam there..and some friends I have here from there..
best damn chicks I know. And now my Grace.

yep..with your background..you would fit right on in.

Then I can visit and harass cozmo and TXUS. ;)
My hornetsting from here at HA..from TX..I got instant friends. :)
All in fun.
But seriously..have met many transplant here from TX..now good friends. They are one of a kind. Broad brush..but I never met one I didn’t like. Good people. Independent and proud spirit. I love my SC family..but TX is unique.
Now you tell me J..I always say..something must be in the water..but they produce some good look’n men dont they? LOL.
Now Tex mex food..aint Cali..but I’ll take it. :)

I know one thing. If Texas has to go lone star once again, we’ll have a lot of help from people like you and probably almost every retired spec-op on the planet, and probably some who haven’t retired as well. Freedom is, at once, a magnet and a light.
TXUS on October 27, 2012 at 1:36 AM

That’s so silly. Even if you are joking, it’s terrible to suggest that you would just give up on United States so easily. That is the talk of a quitter, not a patriot.

I stopped back by on my way out… it would be an honor to walk those ramparts with you, TXUS, if the need should ever arise, however I’m fairly certain that the majority of the electorate is wide awake this time around and Obama and company are on their way to infamy and their ignoble ends.

Because of my affection for sharks, I would love to be near the Gulf, rather than Dust- I mean Hub city. Still-Texas is Texas is Texas. I’m glad we’re here.

annoyinglittletwerp on October 27, 2012 at 1:30 AM

Yeah..everywhere has pro’s and con’s. Since you came from Chi-twon.
I only see positives. lol
Get your scuba license and take you myself.
I’ll give you sharks till ur heart is content. :) Some sweet Moray eels to.
Just for you..no spear gun.. :)
Yeah..should I ever escape to TX..whats my best choice..Galveston?
Oh..and then I may get to have a retirement choice..the Peruvian model..which I have asked here….and it seems is no longer up for discussion.
Cain and Newt had me very intrigued.
Wish/hope this isnt gone off the table.

So it looks like FoxNews can talk about Benghazi all day and runs specials on the subjects over the weekend, but it will not matter.

Barry’s strategy is to deny any report as inaccurate, avoid answering question, stonewall, encourage early voting, go visit areas hit by Sandy next week(the new distraction) and hope to run out the clock. The legacy media will keep silent.

That’s so silly. Even if you are joking, it’s terrible to suggest that you would just give up on United States so easily. That is the talk of a quitter, not a patriot.

bluegill on October 27, 2012 at 1:48 AM

Give up on the United States? Are you kidding? The biggest mistake Texas ever made was giving up sovereignty to join the union in the first place, the USA having given up on her Constitution principles well prior to our joinder. To this day, I curse Sam Houston for that one and only weakness the man ever had.